Gulf Power, EREC Preparing For The Worst From Zeta, Crews On Standby
October 28, 2020
Gulf Power Company and Escambia River Electric Cooperative are hoping for the best but preparing for the worst as Zeta heads toward a landfall along the northern Gulf Coast.
GULF POWER
Gulf Power has activated their storm command center.
“Once again we are taking every action possible to ensure we are ready to respond and can do so quickly to restore power to customers affected,” said Marlene Santos, president of Gulf Power. “Just as we are prepared, we’re asking customers to make safety their top priority and prepare now.”
Crews are prepared to work around the clock to restore power to affected customers once winds are below 35 miles per hour.
In addition, Gulf Power has over 500 resources traveling from its sister company Florida Power & Light to support our restoration efforts with more than 1,000 more on standby. This is in addition to the approximately 1,000 Gulf Power employees and contractors.
ESCAMBIA RIVER ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE
Escambia River Electric Cooperative employees are on emergency alert storm status and preparing for the possibility of widespread outages.
Crews from Clay Electric Cooperative in Keystone Heights, Florida, are also staged and ready to assisted EREC linemen as soon as storm conditions subside. Additional crews will be on standby to respond if needed.
Pictured: Crews restore power along Highway 97 in Walnut Hill after Hurricane Sally. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Skanska: Yes, We Are Securing Our Barges
October 28, 2020
Skanska said the company is securing their barges and other equipment in advance of Zeta.
The company released the following statement:
“As the Gulf Coast prepares for inclement weather, we are closely monitoring Hurricane Zeta’s path in conjunction with our partners with the goal of ensuring the safety of the community and our workers. Skanska is in the process of making necessary storm preparations, including securing barges and cranes, and mobilizing equipment into safe harbor.
“To date, we have recovered 18 of the 23 barges that ran aground as a results of Hurricane Sally, including all of those barges that impacted private property. Three barges that were under the Pensacola Bay Bridge have been retrieved with a fourth ballasted and anchored under the bridge. The remaining barges that have yet to be retrieved are being reinforced and secured in place in anticipation of possible storm impacts.”
Pictured: Skanska barges along Bayfront Parkway in downtown Pensacola, not far from the Pensacola Bay Bridge. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
One Injured In Cantonment Wreck
October 28, 2020
One person was injured in a crash Tuesday night in Cantonment.
The vehicles collided on Highway 95A at Archer Road. One person was transported to an area hospital by Escambia County EMS, and four other people refused transport. Three of the people involved were reportedly minors.
The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating the wreck.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
65 New COVID-19 Cases, One Additional Death Reported In Two County Area
October 28, 2020
There were 65 new COVID-19 cases reported Tuesday in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties by the Florida Department of Health.
The death of a long-term care facility resident was also reported in Santa Rosa County.
Here is the latest data:
Total cases: 13,375 (+47)
Non-Florida residents: 1,325
Total deaths: 269
Long-term care facility deaths : 125
Current hospitalizations: 45 (+1)
Number of tests last day: 794
Percent positive last day: 5.5%
Percent positive last week: 4.4%
Escambia County cases by location:
Pensacola: 9,756 (+37)
Cantonment: 983 (+6)
Century: 940 (+1)
—-including 773 Century prison inmates
Molino: 155
McDavid: 74
Bellview: 19
Walnut Hill: 18
Perdido Key: 9
Gonzalez: 7
Santa Rosa County cases:
Total cases: 5,894 (+18)
Non-Florida residents: 66
Total deaths: 87 (+1)
Long-term care facility deaths: 20
Cumulative Hospitalizations: 357*
Number of tests last day: 217
Percent positive last day: 8.1%
Santa County cases by location:
Milton: 2,987 (+6)
Gulf Breeze: 858 (+5)
Navarre: 776 (-1 data adjustment)
Pace: 498 (+5)
Jay: 159
Bagdad: 15 (+1)
Florida cases:
Total cases: 786,311
Florida residents: 776,215
Deaths: 16,505
Hospitalizations: 48,512*
*“Hospitalizations” in the statewide and Santa Rosa County totals is a count of all laboratory confirmed cases in which an inpatient hospitalization occurred at any time during the course of illness. Most of these people are longer be hospitalized. The FDOH does not provide a count of patients currently hospitalized. The Escambia County number is current data compiled each day from the local hospitals.
*The Florida Department of Health does not have a clear standard or definition of “recovered” and does not report a number of recovered individuals.
**Data Sources: Florida Department of Health, Escambia County, City of Pensacola, local hospitals.
No Injuries In East Kingsfield Road Rollover
October 27, 2020
There were no injuries in a single vehicle rollover Tuesday afternoon on East Kingsfield Road.
The Kia Soul came to rest on its side in the roadway just off the bridge over Eleven Mile Creek, about a half mile east of Highway 297A.
The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating the cause of the wreck.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
Escambia County Offers Free Sand For Storm Prep
October 27, 2020
Escambia County is offering sand for residents living in flood-prone areas. The sand is available on a first come, first served basis at the following locations:
- John R. Jones Jr. Athletic Park – 555 E. Nine Mile Road
- Don Sutton Park – 2320 Crabtree Church Road, Molino
- Travis M. Nelson Park - 4541 Highway 4, Bratt
- Equestrian Center – 7750 Mobile Highway
- Escambia County Road Department – 601 Highway 297A
- Brent Athletic Park – 4711 N. W St., Pensacola
- Ferry Pass Middle School -available on northwest corner of school property on Parazine Street
- Baars Field Athletic Park – 13001 Sorrento Road, Pensacola
Residents must bring their own sandbags and shovels. Sandbags are usually available for purchase at home improvement and hardware stores.
Pictured: Sand at Travis M. Nelson Park in Bratt. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Escambia Schools To Release One Hour Early On Wednesday; Santa Rosa Is School As Usual; After School Canceled Both Counties
October 27, 2020
Here are the announced changes and cancellations for public schools in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties due to Zeta. We will post any updates as soons as they are released.
Escambia County
Every Escambia County public school will dismiss one hour earlier than normal on Wednesday. This will allow buses to complete their routes before the estimated arrival time of tropical storm force winds.
All after school activities for Escambia County School have been canceled for Wednesday.
The district will continue to monitor the progress of Zeta and will on Wednesday announced the status of schools for Thursday.
Pensacola Christian Academy
Pensacola Christian Academy will dismiss Grades 1-12 classes, after school activities, and ESD one hour early on Wednesday, October 28. Kindergarten will follow regular schedule, but Grades 1-12 will dismiss at 2 p.m. The early dismissal allows for the completion of bus routes prior to the arrival of strong winds, therefore all afternoon bus schedules will be one hour earlier than normal. Sports practices will end at 4 p.m. and Extended School Day will close at 4:30 p.m. Information regarding Thursday’s schedule will be communicated Wednesday.
Santa Rosa County
At the current time, Santa Rosa County has not made any changes to school for Wednesday or Thursday, but Wednesday after school activities have been canceled.
One Person Dies In Fire At University Parkway Business
October 27, 2020
One person died Monday night in a commercial fire at an Escambia County business.
Firefighters responded to the MedPro Solutions at 8201 University Parkway about 7:30 p.m., arriving at the three-alarm blaze to find flames showing from the roof of the office building.
One person that was trapped inside the building was found deceased. Their identity has not yet been released.
The Florida State Fire Marshal is investigating. Firefighters from Escambia Fire Rescue, Santa Rosa County and the U.S. Navy responded.
MedPro Solutions is located between Olive Branch Health and Rehabilitation Center and Olive Baptist Church, near West Florida Hospital.
Pictured: A commercial building fire on University Boulevard Monday night, prior to the arrival of firefighters. Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Century Charter Review Committee Fails To Produce Recommendation, Fails At Attempt At Open Public Meeting Access
October 27, 2020
The Century Charter Review Committee failed to deliver a recommendation to the Century Town Council in time to make the November ballot this year, and Monday night they failed at an attempt to hold a meeting that was completely accessible to the the public.
The Century Town Council appointed the committee in August 2019 to explore the town charter – the document that establishes the town, outlines its powers and spells out how it should operate. The charter has not been updated in almost 40 years, and that often creates problems in the operation of the town.
The committee held their first meeting in October 2019, two months after it was established. The early meetings were spent learning about the Sunshine Law, orderly meetings and background information. Most of the discussion at the committee’s sporadic meetings since have centered around one central topic — the form of government and the possible addition of a permanent city manager.
The COVID-19 pandemic slowed regular meetings for the charter committee and any chance of moving forward this year, preventing any charter change from making the ballot.
Monday night, the Century Charter Review Committee held another meeting. The number of members that attended the socially-distanced meeting in person was not immediately clear.
Public notices indicated that the meeting would be accessible over the phone (using the Zoom platform). At least two members of the committee — Shelisa McCall (who is also a candidate for the town council) and Evelyn Hammond — called into the meeting. NorthEscambia.com joined the meeting via both a phone call and only by Zoom.
Very, very little of the meeting was audible remotely as publicly noticed. McCall and Hammond were clearly audible on Zoom, complaining repeatedly that they could not hear or understand what was being said at the in-person meeting.
NorthEscambia.com was not able to hear or understand hardly any of the meeting. We were able to establish that Chairperson Mary Hudson Bourgeois and former interim town manager Buz Eddy were present. Eddy has acted as consultant for the committee.
Under an order from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, governmental bodies are legally allowed to hold meetings by electronic means thought the close of business on October 31 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Effective November 1, governments must return to in-person meetings.
Pictured top: Century Charter Review Committee Chairperson Mary Hudson Bourgeois (right) and member Evelyn Hammond at a 2019 meeting. NorthEscambia.com file photo.
Escambia Fire Rescue, ‘Famous’ TV Dog Share Fire Safety Message In Century
October 27, 2020
Escambia County Fire Rescue and a very special and famous guest visited the Camp Fire Century Youth Learning Center to spread the important message of fire safety. The crew of Century’s Engine 5 were joined by Marshall, one of the hero fire dogs from the hit Nickelodeon TV series PAW Patrol. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.